Hair brushes are notoriously difficult to clean, especially when used on pets. Conventionally, cleaning a brush involves removing the hair by hand, or using a separate tool to lift the hair entwined among the bristles. The separate tool may be a pick or a comb that must be inserted near the bristles and then leveraged to lift and remove the hair from those bristles.
Additionally, a conventional hair brush does not clean the hair while in use. Although a user may cover a brush with soap, it is well known that the detergent action of the soap or foam soap used while washing is often mitigated by water flowing continuously onto the fur or skin, which dilutes the detergent properties. To overcome such problems, it is common to use a sponge or a rag.
The prior art discloses a variety of brush design configurations where the bush is self-cleaning or able to wash the hair of a user. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,427,633 to Ogden, teaches a pet brush with a cleaning element for removing hairs from the brush after use. Also, U.S. Pat. No. 7,337,784 to Hurwitz discloses a hairbrush for people and pets that releases a perfume, fragrance, or other active compositions. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,856,541 to George Kellett, a hair cleaning and conditioning pad is disclosed.
There is a continuing need for a brush that is self-cleaning. Desirably, the brush also militates against a dilution of detergent or cleaning compound while washing a pet.